Local Council Allotment

[stut4]

I thought i'd ask for a bit of advice here about my planned request before making a ballsup of correspondence with council.

i've just taken over an allotment plot within a 3 acre site. total site is around 300 feet x 500 and bordered by major A road on 1 side which is around 10' below the boundary of the site, a minor b road which borders 2 sides, and the 4th side is a cul-de-sac entrance. its surrounded by dense trees, shrubs and undergrowth.

its owned and managed by the local parish council....(so doubt i will get very far with my plan)..

i went down there last night and 2 adjacent plots were being harvested by 2 flocks of magpies - about 8 in total. they disappeared when i got within 30'. apparantly woodpidgeons only visit the site when field crops run low. a few plots have decoys such as cd's and scarecrows but they don't appear to have spooked the magpies. 

i was going to ask the Allotment association first if they have any existing pest control, and then approach the parish council to see their view as to if they would allow an air rifle permission for pest control. shooting from a height of 5' would in the vast majority of the plot put the trajectory of the shot

i've got BASC insurance, air rifle experience, and also a SGC holder, but would only use an air rifle to thin the numbers of these out, and only whilst they are on the ground. no tree shooting. there is a 2-3' raised border all around the site so hopefully they;ll see that is a good natural backstop , plus a shot from 5-6' height always put the shot firmly in the ground. plan to use a silenced non FAC PCP. closest residential houses are probably 100-200' from edge of plot, and considering i was rotorvating at 9:30 the other night it didn't seem to bother anyone...

i acknowledge that if any permission was given, i'd need to put up signs when shooting, have to do a risk assessment and only agree to shot in a certain way. my fear is that if the outdoor manager of the council doesn't agree with shooting, it'll get dismissed without reading.

does anyone think there is any mileage in this, or just a waste of time?

cheers in advance.

 

 

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Good luck with that one, let us know how high the lilly livered liberal types on the Council jump when they get your request.

[stut4]

1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Good luck with that one, let us know how high the lilly livered liberal types on the Council jump when they get your request.

thats exactly what i thought... i expect they embrace woodies, rats and magpies!

?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

48 minutes ago, stut4 said:

thats exactly what i thought... i expect they embrace woodies, rats and magpies!

?

More likely that the Herberts will be anti shooting types.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, or they might charge you a fee for shooting as i hear they are short of some expense money, a friend shoots on a village allotment but he is on the parish council. as your post you can only ask, ?????

Edited May 29, 2018 by oldypigeonpopper

[stut4]

3 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, or they might charge you a fee for shooting as i hear they are short of some expense money, a friend shoots on a village allotment but he is on the parish council. as your post you can only ask, ?????

good point. thank you for this. i saw one of the local parish councillors (not to speak to) at the allotment at the weekend..might need to keep an eye out for him, and then ask his opinion in the first instance. if he wants to save his veggies he might be prepared to put a good spin on the reasons

[Old farrier]

It’s easier to ask for forgiveness and apologise 

than 

to ask for and get permission 

just my thoughts 

 

larson trap and say nothing 

 

best of luck 

of 

[stut4]

36 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

It’s easier to ask for forgiveness and apologise 

than 

to ask for and get permission 

just my thoughts 

 

larson trap and say nothing 

 

best of luck 

of 

thank you for this tip. it would be a damn bit easier than getting permission to shoot. if it was my own land, i'd just shoot, but i expect the council will have problems. i'll read up on the larsen trap and see if i can integrate it into my patch.

[ClemFandango]

Can you demonstrate that you have taken all other steps to avoid damage i.e. scarers or netting your "crops?"

The council may not be anti shooting but they will likely have to answer to people (general public) who are. 

How can they justify allowing you to shoot on an allotment to protect "crops" you grow for recreation? 

Does the council have their own pest controllers? They may seek their advice which would likely be to go along the deterrent route. 

You have BASC insurance and airgun experience SGC etc, that's all pretty meaningless really as to them you are an unknown entity.

It doesn't hurt to ask and I wish you the best of luck but I doubt it will go very far. 

1 hour ago, Old farrier said:

It’s easier to ask for forgiveness and apologise 

than 

to ask for and get permission 

just my thoughts 

 

larson trap and say nothing 

 

best of luck 

of 

terrible advice. What happens when he gets caught and they take his allotment off him?

[Westley]

12 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Can you demonstrate that you have taken all other steps to avoid damage i.e. scarers or netting your "crops?"

The council may not be anti shooting but they will likely have to answer to people (general public) who are. 

How can they justify allowing you to shoot on an allotment to protect "crops" you grow for recreation? 

Does the council have their own pest controllers? They may seek their advice which would likely be to go along the deterrent route. 

You have BASC insurance and airgun experience SGC etc, that's all pretty meaningless really as to them you are an unknown entity.

It doesn't hurt to ask and I wish you the best of luck but I doubt it will go very far. 

terrible advice. What happens when he gets caught and they take his allotment off him?

Possibly along with his Shotgun Certificate too  !

[Old farrier]

7 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Can you demonstrate that you have taken all other steps to avoid damage i.e. scarers or netting your "crops?"

The council may not be anti shooting but they will likely have to answer to people (general public) who are. 

How can they justify allowing you to shoot on an allotment to protect "crops" you grow for recreation? 

Does the council have their own pest controllers? They may seek their advice which would likely be to go along the deterrent route. 

You have BASC insurance and airgun experience SGC etc, that's all pretty meaningless really as to them you are an unknown entity.

It doesn't hurt to ask and I wish you the best of luck but I doubt it will go very far. 

terrible advice. What happens when he gets caught and they take his allotment off him?

No point in having it if vermin are eating the crops 

you wouldn’t bother to  ask to put a mole rat or mousetrap down just do it without a second thought 

far to many people frightened of the what ifs 

[stut4]

1 minute ago, Westley said:

Possibly along with his Shotgun Certificate too  !

gents. thank you for the advice. think i will continue with the netting and cds for the timebeing. i'll ask my local councillor about their pest control plans. i won't do anything which isn't approved by them in triplicate - i value my SGC and keeping out of trouble too much. No doubt some allotment holders will object against pest control.

[Mice!]

ask the old boys around the allotment, they'll know who to ask and who not to ask, drop in that there aren't many song birds about if it's true because of the magpies, and as for the pigeons they won't be popular.

good luck 

[stut4]

20 minutes ago, Mice! said:

ask the old boys around the allotment, they'll know who to ask and who not to ask, drop in that there aren't many song birds about if it's true because of the magpies, and as for the pigeons they won't be popular.

good luck 

will do. theres an AGM next week too so might try and get along to that as might have a chance to ask a few questions. in the meantime i'm building a frame to net most of my produce so hopefully that keep them at bay for the moment.

[Westley]

I would be inclined to use a Larsen and if asked what happens to the trapped birds, explain that you release them away from the allotment area in order to protect the growing crops.

[Guest]

 I have a allotment and we are only allowed to shot on your own allotment .permission is given by the committee  on our allotments 

[JDog]

10 minutes ago, Swinton said:

 I have a allotment and we are only allowed to shot on your own allotment .permission is given by the committee  on our allotments 

And only quarry species designated under the general licence of course.

[strimmer_13]

2 hours ago, Swinton said:

permission is given by the committee  on our allotments 

⬆️this. I work for the town council as a groundsman and Ive asked to shoot the rats on the allotments. No chance through work as far to much health and safety, risk assessments and to a point you'd be representing the council as pro shooting. Mine are neither pro or anti but once the allotment committee get wind they have the say of what's what. Find out who the head honcho is of the allotment committee and get friendly. Then you stand a chance as they've been voted head and people will generally agree with them and you might get a chance. Tbh it's gonna be slim at best 

Also worth pointing out on another note, in case there are rats there, that you need a licence since March to buy full strength rat blox from shops E.g farmers co-ops. You can buy the sachets but only half strength so pretty much pointless. If they don't use a pest control service, offer yours in safer areas.